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Re: Asking Interviewer Questions [#permalink]
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Dear M23A,

Hope this finds you well.

This is, indeed, a part of the interview where applicants often struggle and are caught unprepared. Here is a short session of correct approach for this aspect of the interview.

Playtime: ~3 Minutes



Hope this helps.

All the best!
Experts' Global Team


M23A wrote:
I heard that at the end of an MBA admission interview, the interviewer will ask the candidate whether or not he or she has any questions for the interviewer.

What is the best approach to this situation?

Should the candidate "read" off prepared questions from the portfolio or should the candidate ask the questions from memory?

Also, should the candidate take any notes from the interviewer's response or just listen?

Thank you.
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Re: Asking Interviewer Questions [#permalink]
In many interviews at last the HR may ask do you have any questions. It will be better to ask when than telling No. You can ask something related to the company or the designation, so that the interviewer wil get impressed.
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Re: Asking Interviewer Questions [#permalink]
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M23A wrote:
I heard that at the end of an MBA admission interview, the interviewer will ask the candidate whether or not he or she has any questions for the interviewer.
Some great advice already here so not much to add- but I think that there is no "absolute" on how to respond to the questions you ask- so in some cases you can take notes if you have a notebook handy- but don't let that distract from the conversation.
I think ideally you just have the questions in your memory and ask them- but if it helps you to stay on track you can look at written questions- but be careful to not look like you are doing your due diligence like you would for buying a car or something! I have interviewed thousands of MBA applicants- when I recall those who pulled out a notebook with questions- those kind of people usually had about 5 or so... and you really don't have time usually to ask more than 2 or 3 questions. Here's a hot tip for you.... I realized that when people asked me questions at the end about "me"- as in why did YOU choose to work at x school or attend x program, and what do YOU think is the best thing about this school- etc, that I usually left the interview on a happy upbeat note as I had the chance to reflect upon some positive thing- and human nature- people ENJOY talking about themselves... so without overdoing it- as that can be seen also- I would ask at least one of those "feel good" questions where you give the interviewer a chance to say why they LOVE this school etc as I think it ends the interview on a positive note. And then you hope some of those good feelings stay with the interviewer when they are doing their write up! But in all my years of reviewing interview notes- I have never down graded someone for asking written questions or not- just for not having ANY questions! As that is just part of this dance! And the questions need to be things that are not on the website or in the recruiting brochure. You can follow up on things you learned from the recruiting materials - such as ...
I noticed that you are sending x percent more students to the west coast now compared to 2014- is this part of a concerted effort to build a stronger west coast pipeline of recruiting opportunities? etc- so showing you know something and then asking for a more nuanced- story- behind-the-story kind of question is always good.

I encourage you to practice for your interviews in advance- don't underestimate the power of the interview- for me it was a key part of the admissions puzzle! If you'd like to do some mock interviews with us- we have counselors who have strong experience from both the school side and the industry side in recruiting. Reach out to us at this link to learn how we can help you prepare for interviews!https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com/free-consult/

What is the best approach to this situation?

Should the candidate "read" off prepared questions from the portfolio or should the candidate ask the questions from memory?

Also, should the candidate take any notes from the interviewer's response or just listen?

Thank you.
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Re: Asking Interviewer Questions [#permalink]
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This is a big area where candidates fumble and it surprised me every single time. It’s a real
Bad way to end an interview and leave a negative taste in the interviewers mind. It screams that you are either not prepared, weren’t engaged in the interview or have little interest in the school which are all negatives. I think the best approach is to have 3 questions prepared that will be relevant to the person you are talking too. Some interviews you may not know
Who the person is so if you don’t have a versatile list on your head. I also think it’s good to bring up interesting things or references from your interviewers background or the discussion that may have come up, this shows you were listening and engaged. Ultimately a good interview will be a conversation so it is good to have a solid list of questions because you may run through a bunch earlier than you think in an interview.


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Re: Asking Interviewer Questions [#permalink]

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